Community Standards & Residential Conduct Process
Overview
Simmons University is a community that is founded on the values of respect, integrity, inclusion, honesty, and trust. The Student Code of Conduct, Community Standards and Housing Contract are the documents that guide our expectations of behaviors for our students. When violations of these guiding documents occur, Simmons University has developed policies and procedures to inform our responses, through an educational conduct process that is designed to develop critical thinking, sound judgment, good citizenship, and to promote overall well-being.
The Community Standards are in place to protect individual rights and freedoms as well as to promote a safe, inclusive, and enriching living environment for all students. All residential students are responsible for reviewing the Code of Conduct, Community Standards and the Housing Contract.
Mission
To engage students in a conduct process that is restorative in nature and emphasizes education, accountability, repairing harm, and ultimately student development.
Residential Conduct Goals
We strive to uphold the values of education, accountability, and responsibility in all aspects of the conduct process. Area Coordinators serve as the primary hearing officers for residential conduct meetings. A hearing officer will contact the student to schedule a conduct meeting where they will discuss the alleged university policy violation. The objective of a hearing officer is to gain an understanding of the student, their behavioral choices, and their level of responsibility regarding the alleged violation(s). Through intentional conversation, the hearing officer assists the student in reflecting on their decision-making, taking responsibility when a violation has occurred, overcoming mistakes, and learning from their experiences. The hearing officer will do the following.
- Assist in the development, dissemination, interpretation and enforcement of University policies.
- Ensure that the student's right of due process is applied fairly, consistently and effectively.
- Collaborate with University and community constituents to address student behavioral issues.
- Offer learning opportunities for students who may have violated University policies.
- Initiating preventative educational activities that address conflict and potential violations of University policies.
Student Rights
- A student(s) allegedly in violation of the Student Code of Conduct or University policy is entitled to a fair and impartial hearing.
- Receive advance notice of the alleged violation(s), who to contact for a meeting, and the date by which that contact must occur.
- Present their version of the events in question.
- Request witnesses to meet with the hearing officer.
- Request a new hearing officer, if they believe that a hearing officer may be biased or have a conflict of interest.
- Appeal the outcome of the hearing.
Appeal Process
A student found responsible by a hearing officer for violating the Simmons Code of Conduct, Community Standards, Housing Contract or other university policy may file an appeal under one or more of the following bases.
- There was a procedural error that unfairly affected the outcome of the hearing.
- They have new Information to share that was not reasonably available at the time of the hearing.
- The sanctions imposed are disproportionate to the nature and severity of the offense and the cumulative conduct history of the responding party.
Students have 5 business days from the date they receive their outcome letter to appeal.